Microalgae have recently attracted considerable interest owing to numerous consumer products and applications that can be produced from these organisms. The microalgae-based product portfolio stretches from biomass production for food and animal feed to valuable products extracted from microalgal biomass, including lipids which can be converted into fuel molecules. Low biomass yields are identified as a key driver of the high cost of algal biofuels because of the high capital investment projected as necessary to achieve commercial-scale volumes of biofuel.
Transcription factors can modulate gene expression, either increasing or decreasing (inducing or repressing) the rate of transcription. This modulation results in differential levels of gene expression at various developmental stages, in different growth phases and cell types, and in response to different exogenous (e.g., environmental) and endogenous stimuli throughout the life cycle of the organism. Because transcription factors are key controlling elements of biological pathways, altering the expression levels of one or more transcription factors can change entire biological pathways in an organism.